Page 5 - Sid Tobias News Today

Forget the online vitriol and be grateful for the work done by municipal politicians who were not re-elected or chose not to run again. Great communities don’t just happen; they are the result of hard work

Defeated two-term mayor David Screech says he accepts his defeat, but will become “a self-appointed council watchdog.”

As Dean Murdock dismantled his campaign signs Monday, he reflected on the excitement of his narrow victory over incumbent mayor, Fred Haynes. Murdock was vaulted into the Saanich mayors chair by a margin of 152 votes.

Former navy officer Sid Tobias has been elected mayor in View Royal. He defeated incumbent David Screech, who was first elected to council in 2002 and became mayor in 2014. Tobias had 1,291 votes to Screech’s 1,055.

Sid Tobias says he wants to increase transparency when it comes to decision-making in the municipality, while incumbent David Screech said finalizing the Official Community Plan is one of the major tasks facing council in the next term.

David Screech says he was trying to counter false information.

Election signs may seem like a throwback, but they’re an important part of building name recognition, says a communications expert.